Multi-user remote health monitoring system with biometrics support

Abstract

A method for monitoring a physiological condition of a user with an apparatus in a computer network is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) storing authorization information in a nonvolatile condition within the apparatus, the authorization information being suitable for identifying at least one of (i) one or more authorized patients among a plurality of medical patients of a health monitoring service and (ii) one or more authorized types among a plurality of patient types of the health monitoring service, (B) sensing biometric data from the user of the apparatus and (C) identifying the user as a particular patient from at least one of (i) the authorized patients and (ii) the authorized types in response to matching the biometric data to the authorization information.

1 . A method for monitoring a-health related condition of a user with a server in a communication network, comprising the steps of: 
 (A) receiving via said communication network first electronic data representing a voice of said user speaking to an apparatus, wherein said apparatus is (i) connectable to said communication network and (ii) located distant from said server;    (B) identifying said user as at least one of (i) a plurality of authorized patients and (ii) a plurality of patient types of a health monitoring service based on said voice; and    (C) generating one or more scripts corresponding to said particular patient, at least one of said scripts (i) asking a question about health information and (ii) stating a plurality of possible answers.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 transmitting said scripts to said apparatus via said communication network.    
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein (i) said first electronic data comprises a voice print and (ii) the step for identifying said user comprises the sub-step of: 
 matching said voice print with one sample among a plurality of voice print samples corresponding to said authorized patients stored in said server.    
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 generating an identification code in response to a voice recognition of a spoken word in said first electronic data, wherein the step of identifying said user comprises the sub-step of:    matching said identification code with one code among a plurality of patient codes corresponding to said patient types stored in said server.    
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one script comprises second electronic data representing a recorded voice asking said question.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one script comprises a speech synthesis command instructing said apparatus to audibly synthesis said question.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one script comprises a speech recognition command instructing said apparatus to generate a numerical answer indexing one of said possible answers by conducting a voice recognition of a spoken answer to said question.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving from said communication network second electronic data representing said voice of said user; and    conducting a voice recognition of a spoken answer to said question in said second electronic data.    
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 generating second electronic. data representing a live voice; and    transmitting said second electronic data to said apparatus via said communication network in real time.    
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising a storage medium storing a computer program comprising the steps of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         11 . A method for monitoring a health related condition of a user with an apparatus in a communication network, comprising the steps of: 
 (A) generating first electronic data representing a voice of said user speaking to said apparatus;    (B) identifying said user from at least one of (i) a plurality of authorized patients and (ii) a plurality of patient types of a health monitoring service based on said first electronic data; and    (C) executing one or more scripts associated with said identified user and received from a server via said communication network, at least one of said scripts (a) asking a question about health information and (b) stating a plurality of possible answers, wherein said server is (i) connectable to said communication network and (ii) located distant from said apparatus.    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the step of: 
 transmitting said identification code to said server via said communication network.    
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein (i) said first electronic data defines a voice print and (ii) the step of generating said identification code comprises the sub-step of: 
 matching said voice print with one sample among a plurality of voice print samples corresponding to said authorized patients stored in said apparatus.    
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of generating said identification code comprises the sub-steps of: 
 identifying a spoken word by conducting a voice recognition of said first electronic data; and    matching said spoken word with one sample among a plurality of word samples corresponding to said patient types stored in said apparatus.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said at least one script comprises second electronic data representing a recorded voice asking said question, the method further comprising the step of: 
 generating an audible question by playing said recorded voice.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said at least one script comprises a speech synthesis command for said question, the method further comprising the step of: 
 generating an audible question by conducting a speech synthesis of said question.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of: 
 generating second electronic data representing a spoken answer to said question;    generating a numerical answer indexing one of said possible answers by conducting a voice recognition of said second electronic data; and    transmitting said numerical answer to said server via said communication network.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of: 
 generating second electronic data representing a spoken answer to said question;    transmitting said second electronic data to said server via said communication network for voice recognition of said spoken answer at said server.    
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising a storage medium storing a computer program comprising the steps of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus comprising: 
 an audio input channel configured to generate first electronic data representing a voice of a user speaking to said apparatus;    a microcontroller configured to identify said user from at least one of (i) a plurality of authorized patients and (ii) a plurality of patient types of a health monitoring service based on said first electronic data; and    a modem configured to transmit said identity of said identified user to a server via a communication network, wherein said server is (i) connectable to said communication network and (ii) located distant from said apparatus.